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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kid — child
  3. track — to keep track
  4. row — a line
  5. track — a song
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. row — to paddle
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. firm — a company
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lean — to bend
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. track — a path
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lean — thin
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com